Too Many Burdens
by Lady Henrietta
Summary: Complete: When a gift for compensationg causes minor chaos between Dumbledore and McGonagall, it is only the beginning of Minerva's problems and the burdens she carries. Will she ever tell Albus the truth? Can Rolanda help? ADMM, SSRH
1. Lake Champlain

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, and things, (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings. (This story takes place during Harry's sixth year.)

Too Many Burdens

Chapter 1: Lake Champlain

The annual Halloween party had its usual excitement and surprises as Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall chaperoned the students. A new surprise was the mild chaos a new pet of Hagrid's caused. He had rescued a young hippogriff and brought him to Hogwarts. On his way to his hut, he stopped by the party to inform Albus, but a few noises startled the creature and a few problems ensued. After a while, Albus and Minerva realized that there services would not be needed and decided to leave. Having escaped the Halloween party with graceful ease, they came back to Albus' study and flopped on the couch, nearly exhausted, her seated on the left and him on the right. The fireplace crackled with life to combat the cold outside, but the room was as stuffy as an attic.

"Thank you for a delightful evening," Minerva commented.

Albus grinned. "You're welcome, but it would not have been an evening without your good company. I must admit that it has been quite some time since I have had the pleasure of dancing, especially with someone so light on her feet."

She eyed him wryly. "You always know exactly what to say," she paused as she spotted the unopened bottle he had set down on the center of the coffee table, surrounded magically by two flute glasses. "What's that, and why did Hagrid give it to you?"

He chuckled. "You are observant as always. That, my dear, is a bottle of sparkling cider. Hagrid handed it to me as compensation for the ruckus his new pet caused before the party," he replied, unbending the metal lid of the bottle with the can opener. He poured two glasses and handed one to her. "To the wonderful lady sitting next to me who keeps me in my place, may she continue to remind me where I stand," he began as their glasses clinked.

She smiled graciously and lifted her glass as the embers from the fire began to dance together. "To the man sitting next to me that knows me like no one else; may I find a few ways to surprise him now and then," she said as the rims of their glasses brushed softly again.

He refilled their glasses and continued. "To Aphrodite's better; may she be willing to listen to the waxing poetics of an old coot."

Minerva laughed heartily as they toasted. "Oh come now! I'm just me and we both know it. To Father Time over here who's going blind; may Aphrodite find his glasses."

This time Albus laughed as he refilled their glasses. "If we're toasting, we might as well go down making a time of it. To the goddess of wisdom who beats me at chess, may she someday see the queen that she really is." Their glasses kissed again and the fire sparked with excitement.

She giggled. "Are you hoping I'll let you win the next game. And I hate to tell you, but this is the worst sparkling cider I've ever tasted. Why did Hagrid give it to you again? Did he say he was cleaning his house?"

"He gave it to me as compensation, and you just giggled," he told her.

A rosy blush spread across her cheeks. "So I did. And I think this stuff has fermented, but it's my turn to toast again. To him who always makes me smile, may I someday be able to put words to thoughts," she finished as they clinked glasses again. She paused and looked directly at him. "Do I look as foggy to you as you do to me?"

He rubbed his eyes for a moment. "I think we're both just tired. You left your glasses on the end table when you came in," he remarked. Glasses empty again, they set them down on the coffee table.

The truth was that her head felt as if it had spent the last hour under water. The room itself had begun to remind her of a fishbowl. Then their hands touched and each saw something in the other's eyes, something not entirely expected, but acknowledged. He took her right hand in his and whispered, "I never did tell you how truly glad I am to have you back from St. Mungo's. And your beauty would make a certain Greek deity blush indefinitely."

He kissed her hand, but then began to trail kisses up her arm, ignoring the emerald robes, until he reached her collar. He kissed the base of her neck, then the spot on her neck by her jaw, and finally his lips captured hers in a tender. She was not pulling away from him either as the kiss grew more intense. They parted when out of breath and pulled back for a moment. She had wanted him to kiss her like he just had for years, but she realized that something was drastically out of place. She raised an eyebrow and looked at him strangely.

"What did we just do?" she asked in a shaky tone.

"Do you mean literally or figuratively?" he added.

She rolled her eyes. "Something's out of step. We are not ourselves at the moment and…" she trailed off when she realized that his attention had drifted back to the bottle.

"Minerva, I thought the school had been ordering sparkling cider made by Martinelli's lately," he stated.

"It is," she responded.

"This one's from Lake Champlain," he explained.

She raised an eyebrow incredulously. "Lake Champlain? Let me see that," she paused and examined the bottle as best she could. Her eyes widened as the realization struck her and she set the bottle down on the table immediately. _Oh Merlin, we're both incredibly drunk! I have to leave before I loose control and tell him everything! But then again he might not remember, no, I have to go. _"This is Champaign! You and I drank two thirds of a bottle of Champaign!" she exclaimed.

"That would probably account for a few things," he commented with a chuckle.

Suddenly she stood, but then she steadied herself against the back of the couch as a wave of dizziness passed through her. "I- I should go. We both have to work tomorrow and the sooner we sleep this off, the better," she stated quickly as she frantically scanned the area for the handbag she had brought with her that evening.

He gently took her hand and touched her face so she would look at him, steadying her. "Slow down; your handbag is by the door," he told her calmly. Their eyes met briefly and he whispered, "What are you afraid of?"

She could still smell lemon drops and turned her head away to look at anything aside from him. Her gaze fell on the pictures of the past headmasters. "I'm not afraid of anything," she remarked with a hint of defiance.

Stepping forward, she was caught off guard when he abruptly pulled her into another tender kiss. "Goodnight," he said in a quiet voice.

She gathered what she could of her wits and whispered, "Albus, neither one of is thinking clearly right now. Both of us need to recognize this and part ways. Goodnight." Then she broke away and tried to find her handbag. Picking up the black handbag, she began to look anxiously for her glasses, staggering over toward the far end of the room, pausing at an end table.

He touched her shoulder and as she turned to face him, he brushed a loose strand of hair from her eyes. "I can bring those by tomorrow. In fact, I have extra blankets and I don't mind if you want to stay on my couch," he offered. She was amazed that he could be so rational, and yet definitely tipsy.

She looked up at him with her back being against the wall, and was about to agree when he slid one arm around her waist, the other around her neck, and kissed her again, ardently, lovingly holding her close to him. She placed her hands on his shoulders, responding to his kiss. When they broke apart, he did not release her but looked directly into her eyes. "Stay."

_He can't be seriously asking me this! He must think he's dreaming, probably won't even remember this later. Oh Merlin, he doesn't know what this is doing to me. All I know is that I can't stop this much longer._ Everything was too fuzzy for her to reason adequately anymore and she was tired of always suppressing her feelings for him. Taking a deep breath, she spoke. "No. We both have our duties tomorrow, yours as Headmaster and mine as Transfiguration professor," she tried to reason, more with herself than with him.

"That's what alarm clocks are for," he countered as they slowly inched along the wall, neither paying attention to the fact that they were moving.

"We'll have headaches the size of Wales," she mentioned wryly.

"It doesn't matter and I have an anti-hangover potion," he stated.

"Tomorrow _is_ another day," she attempted to persuade as their foreheads met.

"We may not have tomorrow. We don't have forever and you understand this as well as I do," he told her.

_What on earth is he asking me? He's too drunk to realize what is going on. One of us has got to be strong and obviously he doesn't know what he's asking._ "Then what do we have?" she asked breathlessly as their eyes met again.

"We have now. With Voldemort still on the loose, who knows when or how we will meet our ends. Now is all I can give you and now is all that we need. But I understand if now is not what you want, or-" he was cut off as she slipped her arms around his neck to pull him down to her to kiss him passionately.

_I can't fight it anymore, especially when he's right without knowing it_, she reasoned. He responded and they stood for a few minutes, kissing desperately, as if their world would disappear within the hour and one of them would be gone from the other. She had lost count of how many times she had imagined kissing him like that. To be kissing him for real, even though he might not realize it, was more than she had ever hoped for. Managing to free a hand, he pushed open the door to his room.

When she first heard the alarm clock, she thought it was only in her head until she opened her eyes to a brightly coloured room with an alarm clock resembling a purple dragon, having digital numbers on the side. She rubbed her eyes, acknowledging the pounding headache. _Where am I and why does the décor in here have to have so many bright colours? I do not care to see orange and yellow contrasting purple at 6:00 in the morning. Wait a minute, whose room am I in? Wherever this is, the person can't decorate to save his life_, she surmised.

A stirring on the other side of the bed caused her to turn. She gasped suddenly as she realized whose room she was in. Pulling the sheets around her, she watched as he slowly woke. His eyes blinked open and he smiled politely. "Good morning, Minerva," he said before sitting up. Upon sitting, he noticed their robes on the floor as well as a headache. Comprehension dawned on him and he met her wide-eyed stare with one of his own.

She mustered up the courage to speak first. "It would seem that I did not exactly leave last night as I had intended."

"Oh Merlin, Minerva, I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am that I lost my head," he expressed, not facing her.

The two quickly gathered their clothing and used magic to redress themselves. "It is not your fault alone. I should have simply walked out."

"I'm swearing off alcoholic drinks from this moment on," he told her somberly.

She nodded in agreement. "As am I, but-"

Now dressed, as she faced him she was prepared to tell him that she had not minded the events of the previous evening until he interrupted her. "Minerva, I am so sorry that I lost control. That should never have happened and I do not blame you if you would rather not speak to me for the rest of our natural lives."

She slowly walked over to him and lightly placed her hand on his shoulder. "Albus, you are my dearest friend and there is no way in this world that I would ever stop speaking to you. Both of us lost control and truth be told, I think it was Hagrid's fault for giving you Champaign and telling you it was sparkling cider."

A small smile crept onto his face. "You are quite right, my dear, as always. We will not speak of this again and it would probably be best of you headed back to your rooms in your animagus form," he recommended.

Sighing, she nodded slowly and they said their goodbyes. Alone in her own rooms later that morning, she brushed the tangles from her graying ebony-black hair after she had taken her morning shower. _He didn't give me the chance to tell him. He wants things back to the way they were and to pretend that last night didn't happen. Obviously he only wants a friendship and I am making a mistake to carry on as I have. I just wish I could have told him_, she thought to herself as a few tears slid down her cheeks.


	2. The elephant in the living room

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, and things, (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings. (This story takes place during Harry's sixth year.)

Chapter 2: The elephant in the living room.

Over the next three weeks, relations between Albus and Minerva seemed normal and unchanged. They met to discuss issues, regarded each other with the usual politeness, and played chess late into the night. But all of that was only on the surface. Deep down into the carefully chiseled layers of emotion she had built for herself, she knew her resolve could not last indefinitely.

She had to pause while grading essays because the tears had blurred her vision. _I despise this. We pretend as if nothing happened, but how can I really go back to the way things were, knowing that he could never feel the same way for me as I do for him? He let me go without hardly listening to me_, she lamented.

The realization that Voldemort was breathing down their necks did not help the situation. Remus had been called back to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts and was instructed to train the children in countering he worst curses imaginable. Voldemort had begun seeking out and systematically killing people again, leaving the Headmaster and Headmistress to explain recent developments to some of the children who had lost family members.

Rolanda Hooch, the flying instructor, walked into Minerva's classroom, hoping only to chat, until she noticed that Minerva had been crying. "Min what's wrong?" she inquired.

Minerva glanced up at her and tried hastily to wipe her eyes. Then she stood and faced the other woman. "Nothing is wrong. My allergies are acting up. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to return to my marking."

The flying instructor shook her head. "You do not have allergies! Min, I've known you too long for you to hide things from me. We're going for a walk," she stated, taking Minerva's hand and dragging her along.

Rolanda did not speak again until the two were outside near the Quidditch Pitch. "Now that I've gotten you out of your classroom, you are going to tell me what is going on."

Nodding slowly, Minerva sighed heavily. "The worst thing in the world is to see a child's face when I have to tell them that someone they love is dead. I absolutely hate it. I also hate the fact that I feel left out of all the important information regarding the Order because they don't want to see me hurt again."

"They care about you, Min. Families protect each other," Rolanda reminded.

"I know that. You-Know-Who's shadow has been looming over us and nobody knows when, where, or how they will strike. There is an upcoming battle that we are all preparing for, but we never mention it, as if not saying anything will mean that nothing will happen. And the thing I hate the most is the fact that nobody talks about it," she expressed.

Rolanda nodded. "I think I understand. It's like an expression I heard about an elephant-"

"Ro, I'm not in the mood for jokes," Minerva interrupted cynically.

"No, this isn't a joke. If you mention an elephant in the living room, you are referring to an issue that is very present that people purposely won't talk about," she explained.

Minerva understood more clearly what had just been said than Rolanda would ever know. She thought back to her recent meetings with Albus. _We've both avoided talking about that night and resolving the implications of it, pretending. It seems as though I'm collecting elephants these days_, she thought to herself.

Rolanda noticed her friend's reverie. "Min, is there something else that's bothering you?" the spiky-haired witch inquired.

The other woman shook her head. "I'm fine Ro. I should go back to marking."

She nodded and hugged her friend before they parted. "I hope you know you can always talk to me, Min. I think Poppy and Albus have said the same."

At the mention of Albus, Rolanda noticed an odd expression pass over Minerva's face, but only for a second. The two went their separate ways and Rolanda hoped that Minerva would be able to face whatever she had not been willing to talk about. Minerva returned to her marking and tried to forget everything for a while as she focused on grading essays.

Minerva continued to keep to herself more than usual, but only three people noticed. Poppy's keen eyes noticed everyone's activities. Rolanda and Albus both noticed because Minerva was a good friend. Toward the end of November, Minerva and Albus were playing a game of chess on Saturday morning.

Albus was thinking about breakfast. "They are serving pecan waffles today. I am looking forward to pouring syrup on them and having a nice cup of cocoa on the side."

As Minerva imagined the meal, she suddenly felt an unfamiliar gag reaction in her throat. "Excuse me," she said quickly as she left the game and dashed off toward the bathroom.

Albus raised a concerned eyebrow as she sat down. "Are you alright, my dear?"

She nodded hastily. "Yes, of course. I just had a touch of indigestion."

"But you haven't eaten anything," he reminded.

"I suppose you're right. I don't really know why I'm not feeling as well as I should be," she admitted.

"Perhaps you should visit the infirmary," he suggested.

She shook her head. "I don't have time for that and I wouldn't want to distract Poppy from someone who actually needs help."

He reached out and took her hand in his. Then he smiled kindly. "You really ought to put more value on yourself than that, my dear. You scared a great many of us when you were at St. Mungo's. I am glad to see you without your cane, but there may be a few residual affects of he stunners that you have not considered, Tabby."

She blushed at his use of her old nickname given when she first became an animagus. "I will be fine," she said, trying to reassure him.

"As you wish, my dear," he stated as they resumed their chess game.

She beat him and stood to leave. "I feel I should be going."

Before she reached the door, her cat senses caused her to turn around, figuring that he was standing behind her. In a gesture of tenderness that surprised her, he pulled her into a warm embrace. "Tabby, you forget how well I know you. If something is bothering you, I will help you if I can. You are my best friend and I can tell when something is upsetting you, even without probing your thoughts, which I would only do with permission."

"Albus, I really need to go," she said, squirming out of his embrace and dashing down the hall.

She did not stop her speedy retreat until she was safely in her own rooms again. Sinking down in her favourite chair, she let herself cry again. How she hated not being able to tell him the one thing that bothered her more than Voldemort. In the midst of crying, she also came to the unfortunate conclusion that she was still sick and had to resume her retching. Finally able to steady herself, she realized that the remainder of the school year looked complicated and lonely.

Transfiguration class was the only place in which she felt she could be herself. Teaching was always something she had thoroughly enjoyed. However, something she could not identify had continued to interrupt her day. In the earlier hours of the morning, she would have to leave notes for them to copy and excuse herself due to a nausea that puzzled her. The only thing she knew for certain was that it was not the flu.

November passed quickly and before she realized it the decorations were being put up for Christmas and the winter holiday would arrive soon. She had managed to avoid speaking to Albus about anything regarding her personal life and things had not been too terribly uncomfortable. Then she would see herself in the mirror and the strain on her face the charade was putting on her.

She volunteered to help decorate and had managed to hang the garland in the Great Hall, deciding to do things the muggle way so she would have some sense of accomplishment. The problem was that she had to stand on a muggle ladder and because she did not feel well, she did not have her usual cat-like balance. Attempting to grasp anything as the ladder began to teeter back and fourth, her foot suddenly slipped off the step.

(my thanks to Lady Jolly, Quill of Minerva, Kidarock, Leta McGotor, esb, TartanLioness, Always Hopeful, Lady Urquentha, and Angeldust-aka-Evilwoman for reviewing :D)


	3. Following the clues

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, and things, (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings. (This story takes place during Harry's sixth year.)

Chapter 3: Following the clues.

Minerva gasped in surprise when she landed in the arms of none other than Albus. She raised an eyebrow at the smirk on his face. "It must be my lucky day," he remarked.

"And why is that?" she inquired.

"Because it is not everyday that beautiful women fall from the sky," he said chuckling.

She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Albus Dumbledore, put me down this instant."

He sighed dramatically and complied. "You really shouldn't be up on a ladder, my dear, considering that it was not too long ago that you abandoned your cane. What on earth possessed you to decorate the muggle way?"

"I wanted to feel like I had accomplished something," she admitted.

"There are much safer ways of doing that, you know. Suppose I had not walked by, what would you have done?" he inquired.

She grinned wryly. "Cats always land on their feet. I would have landed on my feet, of course."

They continued speaking as they hung a few lower decorations. "I don't believe I've seen you as a cat for a while now. Have you changed your routine or have you been a human lately?"

She looked at her shoes and did not answer immediately. Not wanting to tell the person who had helped her become an animagus that she had not been able to transform lately was not at the top of her list for conversation topics. "I've just changed my routine. Could you hand me that streamer over there?"

He noted her evasive answer, but let it pass and handed her the streamer. "Would you care to join me after you finish decorating for a game of chess?" he requested.

She smiled and nodded. "I would like that. I'll be along in a while, but I need to check on Ro first."

He left the Great Hall while she walked over to Rolanda. The flying instructor had previously been setting up table clothes and centerpieces when something else had caught her eye. Minerva walked over to her and quietly followed her line of site. Severus stood on the other side of the room, having been roped into decorating, and was assisting with the placement of the enchanted faux wrens.

"Ro, stop staring at Severus," Minerva lightly scolded, tapping her friend on the shoulder.

Rolanda stared at her incredulously. "I was not staring! Granted the man's handsome in his own macabre way but honestly Min, he was just over there and-"

"Admit it Ro: you were staring at him," she teased. By then Severus had finished his task and left the room.

The other woman sighed in defeat. "Alright, maybe I was. It's not like the man ever cared what I thought. He's so engrossed in his potions that he wouldn't notice if anyone was behind him until the person grabbed his shoulders and snogged him! The man's as dense as one of those cauldrons!"

Minerva had tried not to laugh but had failed miserably, dissolving into peals of laughter. "I believe this is the pot calling the kettle- no, calling the cauldron black! You always tell me that I should talk to Albus, and here you are gawking at a man yourself."

Rolanda put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "I suppose you find this all terribly funny, well I don't!"

"Something tells me that you never even tried to get his attention. The little scene you described is more likely a fantasy of yours that you are afraid of indulging under pain of death," Minerva remarked.

The flying instructor sighed. "You know what, Min? You and I make quite a pair, don't we? We both have someone we can't tell things to. Well, now that you probably know my deepest darkest secret, as if you didn't already, I should be going."

Before she left the room, Minerva stopped her. "I bet he'd notice you if you put in a little effort."

"Thanks," she said as they hugged.

As she watched Rolanda saunter down the hall, Minerva's thoughts returned to Albus. _I wish he cared about me as I care about him. The man's flirtatious and I only end up more confused than ever when he does that. This chess game is only going cause more stress for me_, she realized reluctantly.

She soon reached his study and the two began the game. Not wanting to say anything relating to her own feelings, she remained silent and the game was quiet until Albus finally spoke. "My dear, you've been very quiet lately. I suppose you have much on your mind these days?"

Sighing, she realized she would have to say something. "Everyone avoids the topic, but that evil wizard out there is breathing down our necks, waiting to strike. You don't know how much I abhor telling students that someone they love has been killed," she expressed.

He nodded slowly. "But you forget, my dear, that I do know all about that. I had that sad duty during the days of Grindewald," he paused and touched her shoulder affectionately. "I am sorry though, that such a duty must be performed at all."

She smiled sadly. "Ro was right; I should have said something sooner."

As they turned back to the game, he spoke again. "Have you noticed Rolanda and Severus lately?"

Smirking, she nodded. "I caught her staring at him today when we were decorating. Ro even admitted to thinking of him as handsome."

Albus chuckled. "If only you had seen Severus before you fell off the ladder. He was so intent on watching her that he kept hanging those wrens upside-down like bats!"

Minerva laughed. "It doesn't look as though the two of them plan to do anything more than stare at each other before the other one stares back."

She won the chess game and they parted for the day after exchanging quick hugs. After spending a few hour marking, Minerva decided to take a walk. Outside on the beautifully white snowy grounds she noticed Severus also walking along, carrying a book in his hand. "Where are you going?" she inquired.

"I'm looking for Rolanda," he simply replied.

"You might try the Quidditch Pitch," Minerva suggested.

Severus and Minerva walked out to the Quidditch Pitch to locate Rolanda, the snow crunching beneath their feet. "Where on earth could that woman be? I need to ask her about some suspicious flying I observed at the last Quidditch game," he complained.

Minerva sighed. "Just because your side lost does not mean that anyone cheated," she reminded stiffly.

"I am well aware of that but…" he trailed off when he spotted something flying overhead. His jaw dropped upon realizing that the creature flying in loop formations in the sky was Rolanda. "What on earth is she bloody doing?"

The Transfiguration professor could not conceal a smirk. "I'm surprised that you did not know about Ro's habit of stunt-flying. It's something she does to, as some of the students put it, 'burn off steam.' As you can see, one of her favourites is walking on the broom without holding onto anything and diving."

Severus shook his head in disapproval. "That's one of the most dangerous things I've ever seen. She ought to at least have someone spotting her."

"If I didn't know better, I would say you are worried about her," Minerva teased.

He scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. I'd just rather not replace a flying instructor any time soon because the other one was killed while showing off. There she is up there, making quite a time of it as if she didn't know gravity existed."

"You're staring at her, and don't deny it. You have not taken your eyes off her since you noticed where she was," Minerva pointed out slyly.

"I don't know what you're implying, but frankly I…" he paused as Rolanda's routine took a twist no one had anticipated. "Hold this," he stated as he thrust the book into Minerva's hands and dashed toward the spare brooms lying on the ground.

Within seconds he was mounted on the broom and trailing Rolanda. She did what he had predicted she would do and accidentally fell backward. However, he caught her as the broom began its decent. Levitating her now vacant broom, he landed and helped her to her feet. Then he scolded her.

"Woman, that was the most reckless stunt I have ever seen! Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to do that, let alone without someone to spot you?"

Rolanda glared at him indignantly. "I'll have you know that I was fine. What are you doing out here anyway?"

Minerva returned the book to Severus and he faced the flying instructor. "Some of the flying at the last Quidditch match looked suspicious and I wanted to know if you noticed anything odd. I suppose you could say that I was looking for the educated opinion on the subject of flying."

"But you found me instead," Rolanda added. "And don't think that I might be indebted to you at all because you caught me."

He chuckled. "Of course not, I was merely helping the school by keeping you from plummeting to your death."

"Now back to your question, you may be right. If there was more than one referee…" she and Severus were walking back to the castle, forgetting about Minerva in their discussion. _She's going to recruit him to help her watch the game_, Minerva surmised as she headed back to the castle to finish marking.

Just after Christmas, Minerva could not have been feeling worse. Certain she had some odd sort of long-term walking virus, she decided to visit Poppy. As she passed through the door, she stopped and steadied herself on a table, attempting to combat the dizziness. Poppy had been pouring over a few medical forms when she noticed Minerva.

"Min, are you alright? You should sit down for a moment," the medwitch advised.

"Poppy, I don't know what is bothering me. I have heard of walking pneumonia; perhaps I have some sort of walking virus," she stated.

As the medwitch performed a basic diagnosis spell, Rolanda burst into the room holding her left arm. "Poppy, I sprained my left elbow again. I was trying to clean off some of the Quidditch equipment and I had an incident with a bludger. I tell you, those things are-" she paused, noticing Minerva. "Min, what are you doing here? You look like death warmed over."

Minerva rolled her eyes. "Thank you," she said sarcastically. "I'm here to figure out why I've been feeling like death warmed over lately."

The spell finished, causing a purple glow to surround Minerva. Poppy raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "I think something didn't work right. The only way it would be purple was if- never mind, I'll try it again. Have you experienced any trouble lately in transforming into your animagus form?"

She nodded. "Yes, I was planning on asking you about that while I'm here."

After four tries, the result was the same. Poppy took a deep breath and sat down next to Minerva after quickly healing Rolanda's elbow. Rolanda had opted to stay due to her incurable curiosity. "Min," Poppy began, "there is a logical reason why you can't hold your animagus form at the moment. I wish there was an easier way to tell you this: you are with child."

Minerva was silent for what seemed like an eternity. She had her hand over her mouth in shock, but then slowly removed it. "Oh dear Merlin, no!" she gasped quietly.

"Dare I ask how you came to find yourself in this condition?" Poppy probed.

Rolanda stared at her friend, wide-eyed. "Min, care to tell us what this is all about and whom you've been seeing?"

Minerva turned her head away as a few teardrops hit her robes. "How am I ever going to explain this to Albus?" she whispered.

Grabbing Minerva's arm so she would face them, Rolanda spoke. "I've been trying to get you and Albus together for months. What does Albus have to do with your present circumstances?"

The Transfiguration professor stood and walked toward the window. "Do I have to spell things out for you?" she snapped. She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes, slowly facing them again. "Ro, do you recall the Halloween party and my or Albus' leaving?"

She nodded. "A think I vaguely remember you two ducking out early, but I didn't think anything of it because I was too busy looking for Sev- I mean the punch. What I do remember is that hippogriff and the mess that is made. Going back to the matter at hand, what happened after you left?"

"Before we left, Hagrid gave Albus a bottle of what he told him was sparkling cider for compensation regarding the trouble the hippogriff had caused," Minerva relayed.

"You mean it wasn't sparkling cider?" Poppy inquired.

Minerva sighed heavily and shook her head. Rolanda walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It was Champaign, wasn't it?" she asked. Minerva nodded.

"Within a span of less than twelve hours, I had the best and worst time of my life," she admitted.

"And how much did you two drink before you realized what it was?" Poppy questioned.

"We were having fun toasting and had consumed roughly two thirds of the bottle. When we discovered what it was and I realized how incredibly intoxicated we both were, I knew that I should have left," Minerva conveyed.

"Then why didn't you?" Rolanda gently inquired.

Minerva pressed her forehead against the window, watching as Albus left the castle to take a walk. "Because I didn't want to. I was weak and selfish. He was kissing me and I it was like a dream I didn't want to wake up from. When we finally did wake up, we realized what we had allowed ourselves to do and he blamed himself. He was worried that I was angry with him. I was only able to tell him that it was not his fault alone, and that I was not upset with him before he stated that we would not bring up the incident again."

"But you wanted to tell him more?" Rolanda surmised.

Turning back to face her friends, Minerva's eyes held an intensity rarely seen, along with a steady stream of tears. "Yes! I wanted to tell him that though it was unintended, I had no regrets. I wanted to tell him how much I truly love him, but he never gave me the chance."

"Oh Min, I'm so sorry. All this explains the terrible mood you've been in lately," Rolanda said as she wrapped her arms around her friend and let Minerva cry.

"Ro, I can't let this happen. I can't expect him to take any responsibility in this. He'll despise me for it, I'm certain. But how can I expect to be a mother and teach? This is such a ruddy mess!" Minerva lamented.

"Then one question remains: now that you know it is, what do you plan to do about it?" Poppy inquired.

(my thanks to miss mcGonagle, esb, Lady Jolly, Quill of Minerva, Leta McGotor, TartanLioness, LinZE, Alesia G, kidarock, Lady Urquentha, girl from iceland, and Always Hopeful for reviewing :D)


	4. Wish upon a star

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, and things, (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings. (This story takes place during Harry's sixth year.)

Chapter 4: Wish upon a star

"I won't terminate the pregnancy if that is what you are implying. No matter the consequences, I can't do that," Minerva declared. She paused in thought for a moment. "What about a concealing spell that causes me to look as I usually do?"

Poppy shook her head. "It wouldn't work. Because of the incident with the stunners, that sort of magic won't work on you. However, you robes will hide you for about another three months, time enough to find another solution."

"Albus would probably like to know about this someday also," Rolanda reminded.

Minerva broke away from her friends and wandered over to the window again. As she spotted Albus returning, she spoke. "I won't give up the child. Albus and I both love children. It would be cruel and unfair to him," she whispered more to herself than anyone else. "I intend to find a way to keep the child and eventually I will have the courage to tell him. For now, I'll just try to get through this along with everything else."

Before she left, Poppy handed her three vials of liquid, one blue, one green, and one red. "The blue one is for nausea. Take it as soon as you wake up every morning and it should keep your stomach at bay. The red and the green ones are vitamins that you should take twice a day." Minerva thanked her and decided to take a walk in the castle after depositing the vials in her rooms. She walked off in a daze, not even paying attention to her surroundings. Soon her feet led her to the Astronomy Tower.

As she stared at the grounds from the window, tears formed in her eyes again and she sank down on the floor by the wall, hugging her knees and allowing herself to cry again. She did not hear the footsteps of a compassionate friend who happened to be passing by. She inhaled sharply with surprise when she felt two gently hands cupping her face and lifting her head up.

"My dear Tabby, what has hurt you this much? It breaks my heart to see you so distraught," Albus whispered, kneeling next to her on the cool stone floor.

She only looked away and shook her head. Wanting to comfort her, he did the only thing that came to mind and wrapped his arms around her. He held her as she cried on his shoulder for what felt like hours. When she finally stopped crying, she stood and collected herself. Albus stood and observed her to make certain that she was alright.

Looking at her shoes, she spoke. "I cannot thank you enough for coming by when you did."

He smiled and rested a hand on her shoulder. "It was really no trouble at all. I only wish you would tell me what all the fuss is about."

She adamantly shook her head. "I can't, not right now."

Albus sighed and turned toward the window. Minerva was about to leave when he abruptly grasped her sleeve. "Tabby look quickly!"

"What is it?" she inquired as he brought her over to the window.

A single spark of light skidded across the dark sky. "That is a falling star. Make a wish," he told her. After a pause he spoke again. "Did you make a wish?"

She faced him and smiled genuinely. "You never have planned on growing up, have you?"

He chuckled. "My dear, why would I bother to grow up when feeling young is so much more entertaining? Now, about that wish…"

"I did make one, but you know very well that if you tell a wish, it will not come true," she reminded.

He noticed that she was about to leave again and made another attempt to stop her. "If you refuse to tell me what is bothering you, then at least let me help to alleviate some of your stress."

Walking behind her, he began to massage her shoulders. _This is exactly what I needed. I could honestly stay right here forever_, she thought to herself. Then he pressed a quick, light kiss to her temple and backed away. "I suppose we ought to be going," she stated.

He nodded and took her hands in his. "You've been here quite a while. Perhaps you would like to join me for dinner?"

Had she heard something hopeful in his voice? She considered the possibility for a second but then changed her mind. "I should go. I have marking to finish and a few other matters to tend to."

She could not miss the obvious look of disappointment in his eyes. He sighed and let her hands go. "Very well, my dear; I wish you a good evening then."

He started to leave, but she caught up to him. "Albus wait," she began. He turned and faced her, giving her his full attention. "I wanted to tell you…" she trailed off, realizing that she still lacked the courage to tell him the truth. "I wanted to thank you for what you did this afternoon."

Pulling her into a gentle hug, he whispered in her ear. "I will always be here for you when you need to talk or when you need someone to share your burdens, my dear, always."

They parted and she headed back to her rooms. After taking the vitamin potions she made herself dinner and allowed her thoughts to wander. Why does he have to be so good at making me feel better and worse at the same time? _I love him, and now I find that I'm carrying his child, and I still couldn't tell him. I thought Gryffindors were known for their courage and here I stand, head of the house and afraid of rejection from Albus_. She fell asleep on the couch that evening, remembering the massage and his kind words.

The days in January and most of February were quiet until the last week of February. As she sat at her desk reading essays, Minerva received an owl from Albus asking her to meet him. Knowing the password she entered his office, concern written all over her face. "Albus, what's this all about?"

He sighed and handed her a cup of tea. "My dear, you might want to sit down."

She took his suggestion, sitting carefully to avoid any awkward placement of her robes that might have revealed her condition. Now almost four months along, she still had not found anything that could conceal her situation. Once she had settled herself, she sipped the tea and raised an eyebrow.

"In order for you to serve raspberry tea, you must have something incredibly serious to tell me. You only serve raspberry tea when something is bothering you," she pointed out.

He nodded gravely and sat next to her. "Minerva, I've just received word from the Ministry of Magic. Voldemort and his deatheaters are headed for Hogwarts."

"Merlin no! Albus, what will we do?" she questioned.

"The Order and several Aurors will be here shortly. I have also considered taking Mr. Potter's officer for Dumbledore's army," he mentioned.

She set the tea down and shook her head firmly. "Albus, they're just children. What would they're parents think? You wouldn't knowingly send your own child off into a battle would you?"

It suddenly occurred to her what had just said and she took a sip of tea, hoping to cover the blush that was spreading across her face. Albus raised an eyebrow and she was worried that he would ask her to clarify her statement. "Tabby, I understand your concern, but it is not what their parents would think that concerns me at the moment. These children will help whether we permit them to or not, and therefore it would be best if we allow them to work with us. That way they could organize themselves in a safe and orderly fashion instead of trying to fight and hiding from us at the same time."

"That sounds incredibly rational. Though I still do not approve of this idea, you do have a very good point. How soon is all this to take place?" she inquired.

He leaned back in the chair and sighed heavily. "I would say that the battle as well as the conclusion to the prophecy will take place within the next two days."

Minerva nearly dropped her teacup. "Oh Merlin! Is that really enough time to prepare ourselves?"

He touched her cheek with his hand. "It will have to be. There is another matter I must discuss with you though. I do not want you involved in the battle. It is far too dangerous and I could not bear it if you were injured. It was difficult enough when you were hit with those stunners. I think it would be best if you stayed here and held up the fort."

"I agree," she said as he took a sip of his tea. After discussing a few more details regarding preparation, they hugged and parted company.

_I cannot believe my luck that he didn't catch the verbal slip. Though I would rather go and fight, I have someone else other than myself to worry about and therefore precautions must be taken_, she reasoned as she walked toward her rooms. The next few days had the potential to be the worst of her life and she had volunteered to help with the binding spells of the castle.

Voldemort and the deatheaters were spotted almost exactly two days after Albus and Minerva had conversed. The students, with the exception of Dumbledore's Army, were ushered to their dormitories and instructed to stay within their rooms or the Common Room. As the professors were preparing to go to battle in the foyer, Albus spotted Minerva helping the others and sauntered over to her.

"Minerva, may I speak with you for a moment?" he asked.

She nodded and followed him to a corner out of everyone else' line of sight. "Albus, you look tired. Are you certain that you yourself should fight this battle?" she inquired with compassion.

He smiled and kissed her hand. "My Minerva, always looking out for me, how I shall miss you if this does not turn out well."

Distress flashed in her green eyes. "Albus, what is this all about?"

He held both of her hands in his as he spoke. "If anything should happen to me, because you are Deputy Headmistress of the school, I want you to be ready to take the position of Headmistress."

She removed her hands from his and placed them on his shoulders. "I know that, and I am prepared. But I also know that you'll come back. Why must you be so negative?"

Tears had begun to form in her eyes. He pulled her into an embrace and kissed the top of her head. "You know I cannot promise that. How do you know that I will be back?"

She sniffed and tried to think of a way to explain without saying much. "Because you have no idea how lonely I shall be if you don't."

"You mean the world to me, Tabby, you always have. For you I will try to come back," he whispered. Then he slid his hand under her chin and their eyes met. He leaned down and kissed her warmly.

They parted hearing the ruckus outside. "You had better go while I'm still able to let you go," she told him.

He merely nodded and kissed her hand again before heading out with the others. When the battle began, Minerva attempted to peer out of the windows to watch, but bluish smoke soon filled the air and everything was hidden in an eerie haze. She spent the night sitting by the window in the infirmary, waiting for the light of the next day to reveal the outcome.

(my thanks to Quill of Minerva, LinZE, esb, kidarock, Lady Urquentha, Lady Jolly, TartanLioness, Leta McGotor, Melissa, miss mcGonagle, Silver Sorceress, and Subbulakshmi for reviewing :D)


	5. Crocheting a plan

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, and things, (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings. (This story takes place during Harry's sixth year.)

Chapter 5: Crocheting a plan.

In the wee hours of the morning Minerva was awakened from her uncomfortable dreamless sleep by a brilliant green ray of light. She watched with anticipation as the smoke began to dissipate and the wounded were carried toward the castle. As she waited with worry to see if Albus was brought in, she turned around and spotted Severus entering the infirmary carrying an indignant Rolanda.

"Will you just put me down? As I've told you before, it's not as bad as it looks!" Rolanda argued.

"That last hex broke your leg in four places. Woman if you intend to walk normally again, I suggest you wait until I set you down on something!" he retorted.

He set her down on one of the beds and dragged a nurse over to look at her. As the nurse examined her leg, she glanced over at Severus and noticed a dampness by his shoulder. She touched it and realized that it was blood. "Severus Snape, how dare you carry me here when you've hurt your shoulder!" she scolded.

Minerva, not having seen Albus among the wounded, left the infirmary and walked toward the foyer. She stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted him and thought back to their last discussion. _He only kissed me because he was going off to war_, she thought sadly. His beard was tangled and caked with dirt. As she glanced at his robes, small clumps of dirt clung to them and she saw blood among other charred marks, not his blood though.

As he walked in stiffly and looking only at the ground, he stopped at her shoes and met her eyes. "Minerva," his ragged voice whispered. "Voldemort is dead. Mr. Potter has completed the prophecy and surprisingly without injury. Our side won and everyone fought with courage and honor. You will be happy to learn that none of the children fighting were killed or seriously hurt."

She gently touched his face and eyed him with concern. When her eyes met his, she noticed that they seemed to have dimmed slightly. In one look, she understood the horror he had seen and fought through. "You should probably visit the infirmary before you-" he put a hand up to interrupt her.

"I only have a few minor scratches. People who actually require medical assistance ought to be taken care of. I myself only require a good bath and a game of chess," he commented.

A thought crossed her mind that caused her to smirk. "Albus, if you play chess in the bathtub, you'll lose most of the pieces," she teased.

He chuckled softly and held her hands in his. "My dear, you know very well what I meant, but I appreciate your attempt to lighten the mood. After a bath, I would like to play a game of chess and have hot chocolate with my favourite person."

She slipped her hands out of his and gasped his upper arms. His hands gently rested on her shoulders and their foreheads touched in a gesture of closeness that they both needed, knowing that words were unnecessary. Slowly they pulled apart and he glanced at his disheveled appearance. "As much as I would rather stay with you, I really must head off to that bath I mentioned. Would you care to join me later for chess and hot chocolate?"

Nodding, she smiled. "Of course, just owl me when you are ready."

Two hours later, Minerva was sitting at her office desk when the owl arrived. She quickly rose and headed toward his study. He greeted her at the door and handed her a cup of hot chocolate. She observed that his beard was white again from having been cleaned and his overall appearance had been improved upon considerably. But she still saw something in his eyes, something that had yet to be resolved.

"You're looking much better, Albus. How are you feeling?" she inquired as they sat in front of the chessboard.

He took a sip of his drink. "I feel better now that you are here with me. My dear Tabby, war is an unpleasant thing no one should ever have to endure. I am so glad that you didn't try something heroic and race out to join the others."

Even though he was talking about it, she could see that the subject troubled him. "Albus, you don't have to talk about it now. Why don't you rest a bit and play chess? I think we could both get our mind off things for a while."

He agreed and they played three games before either spoke again. "Thank you, Minerva, for being here when I need you."

She smiled and walked over to him. Then she knelt down in order to meet his eyes and caressed his cheek with her hand and whispered, "How could I be anywhere else?"

To her astonishment, she watched small twinkle appear in his eyes. He took her hand and kissed her wrist. "My dear, as always, you manage to brighten my day."

She blushed at the compliment. "Thank you, and the twinkle is back in your eyes," she paused and took a deep breath. _I'll tell him now_. "Albus, there's something I should have-"

A sharp tapping at his window interrupted her. He stood and walked over to let the owl in. He turned back to her after reading the parchment. "It would seem that the other professors request a meeting to clarify what occurred and what is to be done next. Now what were you saying?"

The moment had left her and she simply shook her head. In half an hour the faculty sat in the staff room and Albus spoke. "For those of you who are unaware, Voldemort has been defeated, along with several deatheaters. As for what should be done next, I believe we should proceed to live our lives without the dread we have been trapped by lately. I will announce Voldemort's defeat at breakfast tomorrow. I have no doubt that they will want to celebrate, therefore I will ask if any of you here would like to arrange the event or have suggestions."

After discussing the idea, Filius Flitwick and Sandra Sprout volunteered to plan a feast and a day of games for the students. The meeting ended and the staff filed out and went their separate ways. Minerva headed to her office to plan lessons, not wanting to be interrogated by Albus regarding what she had almost told him.

She was sitting in her office marking quizzes in the middle of March when Rolanda entered her office. "Is everything alright, Ro?" she inquired as she glanced up at her friend.

The other woman nodded. "I found this hiding in one of my trunks and I wanted to give it to you before I misplaced it again," Rolanda mentioned, handing her a small, red and gold crocheted blanket. "It's for the baby. I've no doubt that he or she will be in Gryffindor."

Minerva blushed and left her desk to hug her friend. "Thank you, it's beautiful. Did you make this?"

Rolanda grinned. "Yes, it's been a while since I tried my hand at crocheting, but when I found that red and gold yarn, the muse returned."

"This must have taken you hours," she remarked as she held the blanket. "I've been so distracted for the past couple of months that things are not quite as prepared as they ought to be. I really should prepare a room for the baby soon."

"That's alright. It happens to the best of us. How have you been feeling lately?" Rolanda questioned.

"I've been tired, but it's nothing that I cannot work through. I'm just glad that the nausea is gone. If only I could find a potion or spell that could hide…" she trailed off and placed her hand on her abdomen. After a moment, she smiled.

"Is something wrong?" her friend asked with concern.

Minerva shook her head and took Rolanda's hand. She allowed the flying instructor to feel the baby kick. "It has taken some getting used to, but I think I'm finally looking forward to holding this little one in my arms."

"And when will you tell Albus?" Rolanda asked.

The Transfiguration professor sighed heavily and paced between the door and the window. "I don't know how. Actually I have tried a few times, but every time I do, something interrupts me and I loose the nerve. How can I tell him that he is a father because of a drunken accident that caused him to do and say things that he did not mean?"

Rolanda sighed and shook her head, placing her hand on Minerva's shoulders. "Min, alcohol doesn't make you do things you never thought of: it lets your inhibitions down so you do things that protocol usually won't allow for."

She watched as the comment sank in. "Do you mean to tell me that he does love me in the same why I love him and that we were only doing what our own defenses would not allow?"

The spiky-haired witch laughed. "You said that better than I could've. Min, he loves you and deserves to know what is going on."

_Perhaps wishes do come true_. "I suppose you have a point. What about you and Severus?" Minerva added.

Rolanda crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall. "The irony of what I just told you is that it's one of those 'do as I say and not as I do' things. I don't know if I'll ever talk to Severus."

Minerva raised an eyebrow. "Why not try what you suggested a few months ago?"

The flying instructor ran her hands through her spiky hair in thought and then a broad grin appeared on her face. "Min, you're a genius. I'll just go up to him and snog him! Tally ho!" she exclaimed as she marched out of the door.

The Transfiguration professor tried to call after her friend. "Oh dear, wait, I didn't mean that one!" Realizing that the other woman could not hear her, she sighed heavily and sat back down at her desk. _Maybe I should speak to Albus in order that Ro will stop pestering me. No matter what, I owe him the truth_.

Severus was working on a potion for the next day's class when Rolanda entered his classroom. He did not notice her presents as he continued to prepare the concoction for the demonstration. She came up behind him and waited until he appeared to be finished. Then she quickly grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him so they were facing each other. Without a second thought, she kissed him passionately.

At first he was unresponsive because she had profoundly taken him by surprise. Then he wrapped his arms around her waist and deepened the kiss. They parted, out of breath, and he looked into her amber eyes. "I was wondering when one of us would finally get around to it," he said quietly.

"I love you, Severus Snape, crazy as that might sound," she remarked.

He chuckled and kissed her soundly. "Not as crazy as me admitting that I love you too. If only we could convince Minerva and Albus to have a chat."

She laughed. "I've been trying to do that for years and I've never gotten anywhere. The only way she would ever tell him is if he told her first."

A mischievous glint appeared in Severus' eyes. "It might just work too."

"What might work?" she inquired.

He let her go and headed over to his desk for a piece of parchment and a quill. "I'm talking about the grand, yet simple scheme to get our Headmaster and Headmistress together, of course."

"Now why on earth would you be so eager to get them together?" Rolanda questioned, looking over his shoulder.

He dealt her his customary smirk and pulled her to him for a quick kiss. "I would think that would be obvious; because all the staring they do is becoming annoying."

(my thanks to Quill of Minerva, TartanLioness, Morgana-Alex, Aurinko, MMrulz4eva, LinZE, Lady Jolly, Melissa, Emutet, Always Hopeful, Alesia G, Silver Sorceress, simpledaydreamer, and TabbyMin for reviewing :D)


	6. Sharing the load

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, and things, (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings. (This story takes place during Harry's sixth year.)

Chapter 6: Sharing the load.

"I've tried several times to get those two together. What makes you think that this will work?" Rolanda inquired, kissing him lightly.

"Because, my dear flying instructor, this is a simple plan that does not require much energy or effort on our part," Severus explained.

"What are you suggesting?" she asked, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"That we should write each of them a note, claiming to be the other one of course," he began.

She picked up his other quill. "And just what are these notes going to say? I think they should profess their love for each other in person."

He began scrawling a few ideas on the piece of parchment in front of him. "I did not mean to suggest that they should do otherwise. The letters would be brief enough to strike their curiosity, yet long enough to suggest that the other person either knows something or wants to confess something."

She laughed and kissed him on the cheek. "That sounds absolutely brilliant, and a wee bit sneaky! It just might work."

Minerva had not heard anything from Rolanda regarding what had happened after she dashed out of the office. When an owl appeared at her window, she untied the piece of parchment around its leg and gasped as she read the note.

_Minerva,_

_There are a few matters we must discuss immediately. I have something important to tell you and I would like you to meet me in my office as soon as possible._

_Yours,_

_Albus_

She paced the room for a few minutes in nervous agitation. _Did he find out? Is he angry with me? I'd better hurry and clear this up as soon as possible_, she decided. Within minutes she was at his office. After a few deep breaths, she entered and found him preparing tea. He turned and smiled when he heard her enter the room. "Hello, my dear, I received your letter. You wanted to speak with me about something?"

He handed her a cup of tea, which she accepted as she raised an eyebrow at his comment, and the two sat in the floral-patterned armchairs. "Albus, I came here because I received your letter saying that you wished to discuss something with me."

As they drank their tea, they compared the notes. "Tabby, I do believe that someone has decided to play a joke on us," he remarked.

She thought for a moment. "This isn't Ro's style, therefore I don't know whom these would be from."

He chuckled. "I believe I may have the answer. I noticed her walking with Severus earlier today, arms linked."

"Do you suppose that he has decided to involve himself in our lives as well?" she inquired incredulously.

"It is most definitely a possibility. What I would like to know, however, is what they want us to discuss," he added.

Minerva set her tea down and closed her eyes for a moment. Then she stood and walked over to him. "I think I know. Before I am interrupted again by war, people, or some owl tapping at the window," she paused and leaned close to him to look into his eyes, "I have something to tell you. I love you, Albus, so very much. You have my heart and my trust. If you would rather remain friends, I can simply remain quiet as I have, but I needed to tell you that."

To her surprise a broad grin spread across his face from ear to ear. He stood and cupped her face in his hands. "My Minerva, I have loved you for too many years to remember. I thought that my love could never be returned, but I see now that I have been an old fool. Can you ever forgive me for not telling you sooner?"

"Of course, for we have equal shares in that particular crime," she said with a smirk. Then she took a deep breath. "I know you did not want to talk about what occurred on Halloween again, but what I am about to tell you is something you need to know. I wanted to tell you that morning how much I love you and that I did not regret what had happened."

"I was so worried that I had hurt your feelings and had ruined years of closeness. The truth is," he paused and leaned toward her, "I did not regret it either." He kissed her soundly and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

When they parted, out of breath, she looked up into his sparkling blue eyes. "Albus, there is something very important that I need to tell you. Our night on Halloween had a few unforeseen consequences."

She looked at the floor for a moment and he caressed her cheek with his thumb. "What is it, Tabby?"

A small timid appeared on her face as she took his hand. Slowly she placed it on her abdomen as the baby kicked. When their eyes met he looked at her with a mixture of awe and curiosity. "I'm carrying our child," she finally whispered.

_Oh please don't be angry_, she thought to herself as she watched him closely for a reaction. To her complete amazement, he began trailing soft kissed along her jaw line. Then he kissed her cheeks and finally captured her mouth in a passionate kiss as they moved over to sit on the sofa. He managed to work her hair free from its bun as her hairpins seemed to jump out with a will all their own. She responded and they shared a few more heated kisses before he spoke.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner? How could you ever think that I would turn you away with something like this? I love you with all my heart and I want to be the kind of father to our child who is always present," he explained.

"I thought you would be upset with me, that you would be repulsed by what happened and turn away from me completely. I was worried that-" he understood how upset she had been and decided to silence her worries with a tender kiss. As their lips met, the kiss intensified and he deepened it.

He spoke when they finally pulled away for lack of oxygen. "I was completely serious when I told you that I would always share your burdens, Tabby. It brings me joy that you wanted to keep the child."

"I am glad," she managed. Tears of happiness were forming in her eyes and her voice had begun to crack.

Brushing a loose strand of hair from her eyes, he took her hands in his. "My dear, I should have asked you this years ago. I love you with everything that I am. I want to be by your side always, to show you my love and to raise our child together. Will you do me the greatest honor and become my wife?"

Tears flowed freely down her cheeks like streams and she smiled brightly. "Albus, you have never shown me anything except love, in all your tenderness toward me. And I was blind to it all until now. I love you too. Yes, I will marry you."

He leaned toward her and they shared another passionate kiss. They were married the following week with most of the faculty in attendance. When Minerva tossed the bouquet, Severus caught it when the flowers hit him on the head. Rolanda was standing next to him smirking.

"Not a word," he retorted, causing her to giggle.

Albus and Minerva decided to wait until after the school term to take a honeymoon and decided that because concealing spells did not work on her, they should make a few announcements to the school. "They don't need to know how long we have been married, only that we are married," Albus remarked.

When they entered the Great Hall, arms linked, the students noticed that something was different. Not many noticed the new wedding bands though. Before the meal began, Albus stood to make an announcement. "With the defeat of Voldemort, there is something I would like to share with you all. Minerva McGonagall and I are married," he announced. The Gryffindor table whistled, but he was not finished. She stood next to him and took his hand, nodding for him to proceed. "We are also expecting a child," after that announcement the room erupted with whistles and applause as the message was absorbed.

After the school term had ended, Albus and Minerva spent a week in Spain, taking precautions in how much traveling they did due to Minerva's condition. Most of their time was spent in Sevilla visiting museums and exquisite art galleries. Minerva drifted off into a light sleep leaning on Albus as they took the train to Madrid. From there they would stay a night and floo back to Hogwarts. After a moment she stirred and he turned to face her.

"Have you enjoyed yourself, my dear?" he asked smiling.

She grinned drowsily and kissed him lightly. "Yes, thank you. This was a marvelous idea, going off to Spain. We shall have to introduce a bit of Spanish cuisine to the school's menu. The best part about this trip is that you are here with me."

He leaned toward her and kissed her soundly. "Where else would a loyal husband be?"

She laughed softly and leaned on his shoulder again. "I'm still getting used to that part, but I'm enjoying every minute of it."

His hand slowly drifted to rest on her abdomen. "We really ought to think of a few names," he reminded.

She nodded in agreement. "If it's a boy, I was considering Jonathon Robert."

"And if it's a girl, I was thinking of Gabriella Christine," Albus added.

After they had returned to Hogwarts and unpacked, both enjoyed a time of relaxation from the bustle of the school year. Minerva and Albus shared his quarters and he magically added a room for the baby. In the second week of July, Albus received an owl from the Ministry of Magic for a meeting. Minerva looked up from the book she was reading and noticed as his brow furrowed.

"Albus, what's wrong?" she asked.

He sighed and drew her to him, kissing her lightly. "Fudge is calling me to the Ministry of Magic. Tabby, I don't want to leave you like this, but the meeting is vital for plans to unearth the last deatheaters."

"I would prefer that you stayed here, but I understand and I think you ought to go," she told him.

He cupped her face with his hands. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

She gave him a persevering smile. "This is something that needs to be done, now go before I change my mind. I don't forget that I love you."

After kissing her tenderly, he slowly backed away. "How could I possibly forget that when I love you too? Alright, I will go. I shouldn't be more than a few days."

Over the next two days she had the sudden urge to straighten and clean everything. She even arranged all of Albus' favorite books in alphabetical order and made certain their rooms were spotless. As she sat down to rest on the couch, an unfamiliar pain took her breath away.

Thinking it was due to the fact that she was tired, she decided to ignore it and take a nap. But the pain only woke her from her nap. _The baby isn't due for over a week. Why did Albus have to leave now? Fudge and his meetings, I hope Albus is alright. I had better go to Poppy and confirm this_, she reasoned as the pain became sharper. She slowly stood and headed toward the infirmary.

The meeting at the Ministry of Magic had just ended and the members filed out of the building. The floo was not working that day, resulting in most of them deciding to apparate back to wherever they had come from. Albus also apparated, but instead of appearing in front of the gate leading up to the castle, he found himself outside of a pub in an unfamiliar, almost rural area as the sun descended below the horizon.

"Where in the world am I? That was not supposed to happen. Apparently the orientation must have been off. I only hope Minerva is alright," he mentioned aloud, deciding to enter the pub to inquire about where he had ended up.

Poppy turned and raised a eyebrow when Minerva wandered into the infirmary and sat down. "Minerva, you look so frazzled. What's wrong?" the medwitch inquired.

Minerva gripped the side of the bed as another sharp pain hit. "I need you to confirm whether or not I'm in labor," she explained through gritted teeth.

Grabbing her wand, Poppy performed a quick diagnostic spell and watched Minerva with concern. "It would seem that the little one has decided to arrive early. Is Albus here?"

"No, he's been at the Ministry of Magic. He should be back soon though," she stated.

"Then I think you ought to owl him," Poppy recommended.

She had little doubt that the pain could be anything but contractions now. "Poppy, what if he's lost? We have to find a way to get him back!"

The medwitch helped her friend settle onto the bed after she had changed into a hospital gown. "You shouldn't worry right now. We will cross that bridge if we come to it."

"I have a better idea. We could just send Fawkes with a note and a portkey. Fawkes will find him no matter what, and the portkey will help him get here faster," Minerva suggested.

Poppy agreed to the idea and soon Fawkes was on his way. "You had better find him soon, Minerva needs him," the medwitch whispered.

(my thanks to Kidarock, TartanLioness, Quill of Minerva, Always Hopeful, Lady Jolly, Alesia G, Emutet, esb, Silversorceress, miss mcGonagle, and Melissa for reviewing :D)


	7. Timing is everything

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, and things, (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings. (This story takes place during Harry's sixth year.)

Chapter 7: Timing is everything.

Poppy fixed a few pillows and tried to make Minerva as comfortable as she could. "It is likely that you're going to be here a while. Is there anything in particular you would like me to get for you?"

Despite the growing pain, Minerva smiled. "I'd like you to bring Albus here immediately, but seeing as that would be a bit complicated, could you please bring Ro?"

The medwitch nodded. "Of course," she replied as she owled Rolanda.

Rolanda was at the infirmary door ten minutes after Poppy had sent the owl. "Okay Poppy, where's the fire?" she stated, slightly out of breath.

Minerva laughed at her friend's hasty appearance. "What on earth did Poppy tell you exactly?"

"She told me to get up here now," the flying instructor replied. Then comprehension dawned on her and she moved to sit with Minerva. "Oh Min, where is Albus?"

Minerva replied only after breathing through another contraction. "He was at a meeting with the Ministry of Magic the last time I checked. We sent Fawkes out with a portkey to find him."

Albus entered the pub, noticing the surly characters beginning their evening consumptions of ale. Though loud conversations and excited gestures dominated the place as he entered, the noise level died down as people stared at him curiously. He walked over to the burly gentleman tending the bar.

"Can I get ya somethin' to drink, sir?" the man asked.

Putting up his hand, Albus shook his head. "No, thank you. I am a bit lost though. Could you perhaps tell me where I am?"

The man eyed him incredulously. "Yer a wizard and ya don't know where ya are? Don't see many of yer kind 'round here. What happen'd, got off track with the apparatin'? Well, yer actually only a few miles away from Edinburgh."

Albus sighed heavily. "I try to get back to my Scottish wife and end up in Scotland," he said more to himself than the bar tender. "Thank you, I'll just go sit outside for a while."

He made his way to a bench and sank down into it, leaning against the back. It was only after he heard someone clear his throat that he realized he was not alone. He turned to his right and noticed a tall, stocky brown-haired man sitting on the other side of the bench, smoking from a long white pipe. The pipe reminded Albus of the one used by a leprechaun in a sketch that he had once seen in a book.

As he watched the man's smoke, he noticed that it came out in the shape of a dragon from time to time. The other man turned to face him and spoke. "Ya look a wee bit troubled, sir. Might I ask what brings a fellow like yerself so far out of yer way?"

Not knowing whether or not the stranger was a muggle, Albus answered carefully. "The mode of transportation I used broke down not too far away from here. I need to get back to my wife. She's due soon."

The other man nodded. "So yer sittin' here because yer attemptin' to figure out how to get back to wherever it was ya were off to? It's probably a good idea to sit and think for a minute. I don't know yer story, but I'm sure everthing'll turn out fine. M'name's Seamus McMurray."

The two shook hands as Albus spoke. "And I am Albus Dumbledore. Do you mind if I ask you how the smoke from your pipe looks like dragons?"

Seamus laughed heartily. "Ya can get smoke to do whatever ya want if ya use the right herbs and a little magic. Ya look like one of those magic sorts too. But if ya are one like me, why didn't ya know about the smoke? Wait, ya probably don't smoke. That would explain it."

"Do you live around here?" Albus inquired.

The other man nodded. "I live down that road over there, with m'wife Martha. Our children have grown up and left, so it's just us. Say, what's that colourful thing comin' this way?" Seamus asked looking into the night sky.

Albus saw it too and jumped up. The creature landed on his arm and he petted the bird as he turned back to Seamus. "This is Fawkes, my phoenix bird. It would seem," he paused and untied the parchment, revealing the letter and the portkey, "that my way back home as arrived. It was nice meeting you," he said politely.

Fawkes allowed Seamus to pet him. "Go on back to yer wife. And if ya should like to visit and bring her with ya, Martha and I are just down that road," he stated, pointing out the direction again.

"Thank you," Albus added as he turned the portkey.

He found himself in the infirmary and spotted Minerva surrounded by Rolanda and Poppy. The medwitch quickly headed over to him and dragged him toward Minerva. "I'm glad you're finally here. Now go sit with your wife."

Taking the chair on the other side of the bed, he sat down and took Minerva's hand in his. The he kissed her cheek. Her eyes met his and she spoke. "Where were you? Did the meeting really run that late? I worried that you had gotten lost."

"Actually the meeting ended some time ago, but when I tried to apparate here, I ended up outside of Edinburgh. It was fortunate that Fawkes found me," he explained. Then he leaned close to her and kissed her tenderly. "My dear Tabby, I won't leave you like that again, not when you need me. I promise."

She gripped his hand harder than she had meant to as another contraction hit. "I honestly don't mean to dislocate your fingers. But I am so very glad that you are here now."

"Enough talking, Minerva. You should be working on your breathing and pushing," Poppy instructed.

"Poppy, I have an idea: you trade places with me and then you can give me orders," she remarked through gritted teeth.

The medwitch placed her hands on her hips. "No need to be snippy, Minerva. I'm only trying to help."

"I know that, and I'm sorry," Minerva replied as she gripped Albus' hand again.

Another five hours later Poppy handed the newborn baby to an exhausted and nearly out of breath Minerva. "You have a healthy daughter, Minerva."

She and Albus smiled down at the red and wrinkly little human she held in her arms. "She's adorable, Min. Congratulations. Have you two decided on a name?" Rolanda asked, looking at the baby as well.

"Actually, Albus the name you suggested sounded suitable," she paused and handed the baby to Albus. "Gabriella Christine Dumbledore, say hello to your father."

When Albus held the infant Minerva noticed how his eyes sparkled at that moment. After a while he handed the baby back to his wife for a quick feeding. Rolanda was about to leave when Minerva put a hand out to stop her. "Would you like to hold the baby, Ro?"

The flying instructor grinned. "Yes, that would be lovely."

As Rolanda sat smiling down at the little girl, Severus sauntered into the infirmary. "Rolanda, have you been here all this time? I have been looking all over the castle for you. At 9:00 you wanted to talk to me about the November Quidditch game and…" he trailed off when he saw the others. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize- why doesn't anyone tell me these things?"

"I'm sorry, Severus. I should have owled you. Don't stand all the way over there though. Come closer and see their daughter," Rolanda persuaded.

As he walked toward them, he acknowledged and congratulated Albus and Minerva, but he could not dispel the picture of Rolanda holding the baby from his mind. Rolanda handed the baby back to Minerva and stood. Then Minerva let Severus hold the baby. He was astonished that the infant did not immediately cry when he held her. When she began to fuss slightly, Albus took her.

"I should be going. We'll leave the three of you alone now," Rolanda stated as she headed for the door, followed by Severus.

They walked, arms linked through the corridors and into the dungeons where his office was. Rolanda flopped down into a chair in front of his desk. "We could just discuss the Quidditch business at a later date," she suggested.

He nodded. "Though you are correct, your earlier suggestion of meeting tonight brought me to a decision about something I was debating whether or not to ask."

A smirk appeared on her face. "Now I'm intrigued. What are you hinting at?"

Walking back behind his desk, he pulled out a drawer and removed a black velvet box. He handed it to her and opened it, kneeling in front of her. The box contained a diamond ring on a white gold band with two emeralds. "I love you, Rolanda Hooch. I cannot believe that for me to realize it you had to come up and snog me. I want to be with you, cherish you, and I do enjoy your schemes. Will you marry me?"

Rolanda stared at him, wide-eyed for a minute. "I suppose there is something to that old story about catching the bride's flowers after all. I love you too, Severus Snape. You have this habit of being there when I need someone to help me, especially when my pride gets in the way. Yes." The ring now on her finger, she kissed him soundly and he deepened the kiss.

Albus had performed the sorting ceremony that year. At the Welcoming Feast in September, he had a few announcements to make. He stood and smiled at Minerva first, and then turned toward Severus and Rolanda, who both nodded. As he faced the school, he took one last glance over his shoulder toward his daughter, whom Minerva was holding, before speaking.

"It is my great pleasure to make announcements once again. This year I would like to introduce my daughter, Gabriella Christine Dumbledore," he paused as Minerva stood, holding the baby as the students clapped. He continued when she sat down. "Also, not only do we now have two Professors Dumbledore, but we also have two Professors Snape teaching this year." Rolanda and Severus both stood and gave polite nods to students, who were a bit shocked, but clapped eventually.

After the Feast, Albus and Minerva walked back to their rooms. She held their daughter closely to her as they strolled through the corridors. Sighing with contentment as the baby snuggled against her, she spoke. "It is so utterly refreshing this year not to have the dark wizard looming over us. Finally we can start a year off as it ought to be."

Not wanting to be so far away from them, he draped his arm over Minerva's shoulders and kissed her cheek. "Quite right, my dear."

As they entered their rooms, the baby began to fuss. "Tired of me already, are you? Well, I think I'll let Papa hold you for a while," she commented, handing the baby to Albus.

He took his daughter in his arms and smiled down at her, still amazed at how small and perfect she looked. She quieted down and looked at him, as if she could read his thoughts. Though Albus knew that she was only observing him, she at her small age had an expression causing her to seem as though she saw something more.

Soon Minerva and Albus put Gabriella to bed and curled up together on the couch with their arms around each other, listening to the crackling fire. "Are you happy, my love?" he asked her.

She moved to kiss him tenderly. "Very. A year ago I would never have considered any of this even possible." He would have said the same thing, but decided to kiss her passionately instead.

Toward the middle of October, Minerva had just put the baby down for an afternoon nap and picked up her essays to begin marking when she heard a knock at the door. She opened it to Rolanda and raised an eyebrow. "What brings you here today, Ro? You look pale; is everything alright?" Minerva inquired.

She gestured for Rolanda to sit on the couch while she resumed her place. Then she looked at her friend with interest as her face turned from white to red when she blushed. Rolanda glanced down at her hands nervously for an instant. "I just found out from Poppy that I won't be doing much flying for a while, though I will still be teaching the flying courses. I need someone else aside from Severus to help me referee the Quidditch games this year and I was hoping you'd like to help me," she managed.

Minerva smiled. "Of course I'll help you, but why won't you be flying?"

Rolanda leaned toward Minerva and whispered something into her ear. Then Minerva pulled her friend into a hug. "Congratulations, does Severus know yet?"

The other woman shook her head. "I just found out today and haven't had a chance to tell him. I would appreciate it if you'd keep this quiet for a while."

"May I at least tell Albus?" she inquired.

"Of course," Rolanda replied.

Once again after dinner, Albus and Minerva were curled up on the couch together, talking of various things. He eyed her curiously when she suddenly smiled from ear to ear. "You know something, my dear," he quickly assessed.

She nodded. "Ro and Severus are expecting a child. I suspect that the next few years will be quite interesting for all of us."

As time passed, two girls grew up as playmates. A week after Gabriella's sixth birthday, she and five-year-old Serena Lucille Snape crept down the corridor, looking for their intended targets. Gabriella had inherited her father's auburn hair that he had possessed in his younger days along with her mother's perceptive green eyes. Serena's hair was an obsidian black, as was her father's, and her eyes matched her mother's, being that mischievous amber colour.

"Rena, Are you sure that this is such a good idea?" Gabriella asked Serena.

Serena put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Gabby, sometimes you're such a stick in the mud! It'll be fun," she guaranteed with a mischievous grin.

Her auburn-haired playmate finally conceded and the two waited in anticipation as Poppy entered the corridor. From their hiding place, the girls pulled a string and a stuffed animal in the form of a dragon descended from where they had placed it, gliding down right past Poppy's face. It startled her only for a moment and she crossed her arms.

"Serena Lucille Snape, I know you had something to do with this. First of all, it's not nice to scare people. Secondly, the dragon was not nearly realistic enough to do what you wanted it to. And lastly, Gabriella Christine Dumbledore, I know you helped her," the medwitch declared.

Later that afternoon, Poppy found Rolanda and Minerva drinking glasses of lemonade as they took a break from their lesson plans for the next school term. "Ladies," she began. They both faced her with a raised eyebrow. "Your daughters are reaching the age when they are curious about practical jokes. I would like to suggest that those two are cured of such habits before they start their schooling here."

She then placed the stuffed animal on the coffee table and left the room. The two women looked at each other and smirked. "It would seem that our daughters are taking after us, even before we have been given the opportunity to tell them of our old antics," Minerva stated.

Rolanda nodded. "I can already tell you what happened. My daughter planned it and yours helped while telling mine that it wasn't a good idea."

They both laughed. "We were quite a pair in our school days, weren't we? I wonder in which houses our daughters will find themselves."

Gabriella sat on the stool for the sorting ceremony, almost shaking with anticipation. At eleven, she could scarcely contain her excitement on finally attending Hogwarts. Her only regret was that Serena would have to wait until the following year. Gabriella held her breath as the hat was placed on her head.

"Hmm, this is interesting. I see a very bright, yet cautious girl who is also very perceptive. She has her mother's discipline, her father's insight, and a friend's loyalty. What's this? Ah good, there's a little mischief here too. Gryffindor!" the hat exclaimed.

The girl smiled at her mother and glanced over her shoulder at her father before joining the other first-years at the table. That evening, Albus found Minerva staring into the fireplace. He set what he had brought down on the coffee table and drew her to him for a warm embrace. "My dear, something is on your mind. Care to tell me what it is?" he inquired.

She grabbed his robes to be closer to him. "I miss her already. She hasn't even been away from us for an entire day and I can't stand it."

He leaned down and kissed her tenderly. "I miss her also, but you must allow her to grow up eventually."

As they made their way to the couch, she eyed the bottle suspiciously. "Albus Dumbledore, that had better not be anything alcoholic," she warned.

He chuckled and opened it. "Don't worry, my dear. This is genuine sparkling cider from Martinelli's."

"Are you suggesting that we toast then?" she surmised.

He pulled out two flute classes and nodded. "I am indeed."

Handing her a glass, he told her to go first. "To him who holds my heart, that he would never doubt my love for him."

The rims of the glasses clinked and he leaned close to her as he toasted. "To the lady whom I default to for advice, and to whom I have also given my heart to that we might have an even trade, that she knows I am always here."

After they downed their cider and he refilled the glasses, he kissed her lightly. She sighed with contentment and began another toast. "To the man who understands me more than I could have ever hoped for, may I always prove to be a loving helpmate that we should work together like two hands, needing the other to be complete."

He had begun to plant light kisses along her neck and stopped to meet her eyes. "To the woman who let me know that love had not passed me by, I thank you. My dear Tabby, you showed me that all I ever wanted was right in front of me the whole time," he told her almost in a whisper.

In that instant the sparkling cider was forgotten as she gently pressed her lips to his. He pulled her closer as he wrapped his arms around her waist and traced small circles on her back. Her arms encircled his neck as she also moved closer to kiss him passionately. He deepened the kiss and the two remained on the couch as the fire crackled with warm intensity, spreading its cozy warm glow throughout the room.

………………………………… Fin ………………………………………

(I truly enjoyed writing this story and I hope all of you had fun reading this tale. May we all find positive ways to deal with the surprises and lemons that life throws at us, turning them into lemon-meringue pie (opposed to lemonade); my thanks to TartanLioness, Quill of Minerva, Kidarock, esb, Leta McGotor, Lady Jolly, Emutet, Always Hopeful, MMrulz4eva, and Silver Sorceress for reviewing :D)


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